Watched the new The Count of Monte Cristo from 2024 with the roomie yesterday.
I thought it was a good film with what seemed like great performances even though I don't really know if that's the case since I don't speak French. There are a lot of emotional moments in the movie and the actors conveyed the evident sentiments with impassioned performances at all the right times so I have to assume they were good at their assigned roles.
The only thing I'd say is that I don't feel like the moments or relationships are earned quite in the same way as Caviezel's version. There was a coldness to this newer adaptation that was a little off-putting, for lack of a better term. Probably a language barrier thing for the most part, but I also feel that the characters in this version that didn't appear in the Caviezel version might have made the proceedings feel a little more played out and languid. And at the same time, some of the relationships felt less personal and more rushed despite the extra running length. In particular is the dynamic between Edmond and Faria.
I think my biggest criticism of this new version is how it lacks any of the adventurous spirit of Caviezel's film. This movie has no true ebbs and flows, and feels more a dirge, a march towards its own inevitable plot points, rather than a roiling and entertaining story with ups and downs. This film's script almost seems to relish in torturing its villains as much as Dantes is until his conscience eventually begins to heal. In the previous interpretation, it makes more effort to remind you of Dantes' humanity now and again.
Most of the film's moral compass is carried by Haydee, Dantes' adopted niece (I guess, although there is a scene that implies a more intimate relationship) whose story is head spinning since she seems to come out of nowhere and isn't explained until near the climax of the movie. She is in on the fix and wants revenge against Fernand but somewhere along the way she legitimately falls for his son, which compromises Edmond's scheme. I am not sure how I feel about Haydee's role as Edmond's catalyst to his own moral awakening because she and Edmond are not very affectionate towards one another and their connection isn't earned on the screen in order to preserve 'the twist'. The movie's most important turning point is, sadly, its biggest misstep.
The spiritual center of Dantes' personal journey into and out of hell is missing here, and it shows. The film's justice feels temporal, not eternal, not lasting and not as meaningful as a result.
Still, if you are a fan of cinema you will find a lot to like in this movie. I'd still watch Caviezel's version before I'd ever watch this one again, however.
3.5 out of 5.
